Barcelona will challenge the fine of 602 euros imposed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for alleged negotiations with Atletico Madrid striker Julián Álvarez. The Catalan club does not intend to accept the sanction, as it believes that it did not violate the current rules.
According to information from the Spanish publication “Marca“, the management's decision is not related to the amount of the financial penalty, but to the club's position in principle. Barcelona are convinced that their actions were completely correct and see no reason to pay the imposed amount.
Sources quoted by the media indicate that at the “Camp Nou“ describe the fine as “ridiculous“. However, the Catalans intend to take formal action against the decision, as they do not want to admit guilt for an offence that they do not believe was committed.
The sanction was imposed by the RFEF following a complaint from Atletico Madrid. The capital club's claims are related to allegations that Barcelona held talks with Julián Álvarez without first informing his current employer, as required by the rules.
It remains to be seen how the appeal procedure will develop and whether the federation will change its initial decision.